The present invention relates to water purification and power generation, and more specifically relates to a method of maximizing the efficiency of a power generation system (such as a nuclear reactor) while providing a mechanism by which water is purified of contaminants to be potable.
Presently, nuclear power accounts for a large portion of power generation in the first world. Unfortunately, few improvements have been made to the process of power generation from nuclear reactors since their inception. A large amount of power is lost to heat escaping to the cooling water. If this energy could also be captured, brine water could be super-cooled, and the efficiency of the reactor could be maximized.
Additionally, clean water is a necessity around the world, and is a requirement for prolonged manned space exploration. If the purification of water was a byproduct of power production, especially if accomplished via heat that is otherwise wasted via conventional power generation means such as nuclear, communities could have power as well as clean water via the same process and mechanism.
Similarly, in manned space missions, both power for the space craft as well as clean water for the crew are necessities for extended space travel. If there were a means by which power could be generated aboard a space craft, while simultaneously providing clean water for the crew, fewer challenges would exist to posit extended manned space missions.
Thus, there is a need for a new form of power generating apparatus and water purification system configured to maximize the efficiency of a conventional reactor which subsequently enables the purification of water as a result of the process. Such a system preferably only requires the boiling of water from byproduct heat of one or more power generation systems employing at least one of an assortment of fuels.